11/26 to 12/10 - Delray Beach

  Delray Beach, Florida

November 26 to December 10

Having said my goodbyes and giving thanks to Chuck and Silvia for their hosting generosity and my wonderful Thanksgiving with most of my family, I was driving on South Flagler Drive when I captured this gift.

Having arrived in Delray Beach, I was greeted with this gift, a beautiful sunset.

Welcome to Delray Beach, FL. This will be my sixth year spending time here at the DelRaton RV Park.  Michelle and Dad, Arthur, and family are the proud owners of the campground and for 50 years, they've watched the properties on both sides of the campground grow with every brand of car dealership you can think of; thirteen to be exact. They're all along this stretch of S. Federal Highway. Congratulations on your 50 years.

There's history and memories here for me. The list of friends and relatives is extensive and past blogs are here for me to reminisce. The people, the restaurants, the family get-togethers are all here. The following links will take me (and you, if you want) back to a two-part blog in 2019, the FIRST and the SECOND. There's 2020, 2022, 2023 blogs. Even one way back to 2015. In any of the blogs if you make it to the bottom of the blog, after the COMMENTS, click on the OLDER POSTS or NEWER POSTS to see others.

With two weeks scheduled, I'll have to work to keep entries short and sweet or chop them up as I have in the past. There is just so much that enriches my life through being with people, visiting places and of course, dining that go along with my desire to share, it'll be tough. 

Sunrise 12/06

As you know, I'm all about sunsets (and sunrises if I can manage to wake up that early to catch one). So far, sunsets continue to amaze me with pallets of beautiful colors swept across the sky with blending brush strokes that boggle the mind; they just don't get old. There have been so many I decided to create a page devoted only to my shots of sunsets. If you're interested, CLICK HERE to see them.

Sunset 12/02

With a blast of cold air (for Florida) that swept in Monday overnight, I actually had the heat on for a bit. 56º in Delray, FL? Their lowest ever for November, was around 40º in 2006. So with a jacket, my first dining excursion out was with dear friend, Dina, formerly of Cortlandt Manor, NY, who now lives here in Delray. It'll go down to 54 tonight. We went to Phat Boys Sushi, Kitchen & Bar right up the street on South Federal.

The iconic waving cat seen everywhere in Chinese restaurants. They're actually of Japanese origin and their cultural history is fascinating. Read more about it HERE (especially if you're a cat lover). For example, the cats waving aren't waving good-bye; rather, palm forward, fingers down is a welcoming gesture in many other cultures.

Dina, my long time friend and Chardonnay connoisseur.

From the winemaker: "The 2021 Kali Hart Chardonnay is our most fruit-forward expression of cool-climate white wine from our legendary Sleepy Hollow Vineyard and Olson Ranch Vineyard. Layers of ripe stone fruits and toasted vanilla bean rise from the glass, while notes of Honeycrisp apple and melon greet the palate. A full, luscious mouthfeel carries through to a bright, creamy finish underscored by a hint of warming spices and fresh baked brioche." —winemaker. No, I never can detect such flavorful aromas.

Appetizers: Fried Jumbo Shrimp Dumplings (Shumai) and pan fried pork dumplings (Gyoza).

Phat Girl Roll: JB (Japanese Bagel = Tempura Fried Roll Topped with Eel Sauce) Topped with Spicy Tuna Tartare, Spicy Mayo and Eel Sauce.

Dina enjoyed the Yellowtail Scallion Roll

Our booth, up a few steps overlooking the main dining area and bar, added a more intimate, warm and cozy feel to the already relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. A personable, smiling server added to our enjoyment. For an early Tuesday evening, it was well attended.

On Friday, River House neighbors, Dom and Eleanora picked me up and drove down to Boca. Coincidentally, just thirty minutes south, they enjoy the winter months in their condo in Century Village East. This expansive gated community is a renowned active-adult 55+ condominium community, conveniently located just south of Boca Raton and just north of Pompano Beach in Deerfield. The four Century Village communities are unique in the country. Every amenity you cold think of is conveniently located within. Events, shows, Fitness Center, Classes, Specialty Clubs, 13 Pools, a cafe, Urgent Care, and shuttles to the beach just 3 miles aways are all available to them.

Prior to visiting their condo and having dessert and coffee, we had lunch at Trattoria Nonna a short distance away.

Dom and Eleanora

We beat the lunch crowd around noon. By the time we left the restaurant was filling up.

Baked ziti with ricotta: Ricotta mixed in but topped with mozzarella. Delicious. From a very extensive red wine list (check the website), I chose the Montepulciano d' Abruzzo, Terre Poggio Abruzzo. 

On Wednesday, long time best friend and fellow retiree from BMMS, Jim, picked me up and we dined at La Cigale. With wife, Missy, still in New York, his short ride from Boynton Beach allowed us to enjoy a "boys night out." From aches and pains to kids and grandkids, we had lots to catch up on and talk about. La Cigale is an upscale, ($$$$) fine dining Mediterranean style restaurant in the heart of Delray Beach. Their website introduces you to the experience with: "Welcome to La Cigale – A Landmark Delray Beach Restaurant. La Cigale, a Taste of the Mediterranean has had a rebirth in downtown Delray Beach, Florida. Just south of busy Atlantic Avenue on Federal Highway you will be swept away to the sights and smells of the Mediterranean Coastline. Think of the French Riviera, Morocco, Greece, Italy and delight in the cuisines of each.

You will be greeted by your host, Francis Touboul, a native of Marseilles. You may be served by one of our staff from Corsica or another from Lyon or yet another from the Basque region all of whom would be delighted to make your experience more enjoyable by sharing tidbits of their native cities."

Our soup selection was the FRENCH ONION SOUP: caramelized sweet onions, dry sack sherry, homemade croutons, topped with gruyere cheese. It was once of the best I've had in a very long time...a meal unto itself.

We both chose the night's special: three mushroom stuffed raviolis topped with chunks of lobster claws, asparagus and cherry tomatoes in an Alfredo sauce.

Our wine to pair with the meal was a Chianti. "Chianti’s actually a centuries-old wine region within Tuscany, with the first written mention of Sangiovese (the predominant Chianti grape) dating as far back as 1398 (and wine production dating back maybe 2000 years). The region got appellation status in 1716 from Cosimo III de Medici—yes, those Medicis—and in 1984, Chianti Classico got its DOCG." ~ from the link below.

I've enlarged the label on the back of the bottle to share with you the significance of the "Black Rooster" you'll see on every bottle of  Chianti Classico. The full, fascinating story that goes back 800 years can be found in THIS LINK. 

Our black rooster is encircled in red indicating it's a "straight up Chianti," vs. a gold circle indicating a finer grade.

And, as my last dining experience here in Delray Beach, I took Chuck and Silvia to Henry's of Boca Raton. 

For over 17 years, Henry’s was a multi-year winner of the Reader’s Choice Award from Boca Raton Magazine for Best American Cuisine and Best Service. 

Without reservations at 5:30, we were able to be seated in the fairly crowded restaurant. Lighting was a tad bright but we concluded the aging clientele needed that type of atmosphere to see menus and what they were eating. This is Florida after all.

Silvia and Chuck

I enjoyed the Filet Medallions: Grilled, demi glace, mushrooms and onions on sweet potato mash and spinach Maria. Delicious, of course. With "medallions," I expected bite-sized chunks of my favorite cut of beef. Rather, the filet was one piece. My wine choice was Trivento Malbec Reserve from Argentina. Taster's notes for my wine loving friends: "Dark fruit on the nose, such as blackberries, with meat and chestnut undertones. Full body with firm tannins. Structured, yet it retains a lean and juicy feel on the palate. Very clean. Real malbec character." Delicious, no? I wish I detected any of it. 

Thanks for joining me for my two-week stay here in Delray Beach. Sunday, I take off headed north about 19 miles. In less than a half hour I will be at the John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth, for 12 days. I look forward to sharing it all with you.

Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures. ~~Michael Broadbent (I did and it is)